Goya Reclaimed: Contemporary Artists' Appropriation of Francisco de Goya's Work for a Contemporary Consumption

Francisco de Goya was a Spanish painter during the 18th and 19th centuries whose body of work, paired with the social commentary and his role as a critic, is still heavily influential on many contemporary artists working today who choose to appropriate his work within their own. Regarded as the Last of the Old Masters and First of the Modern Painters, Goya’s ability to make his art relatable to individuals of different backgrounds and cultures shows how influential his art has become. By examining three contemporary artists, Emily Lombardo and Jake and Dinos Chapman, these artists show the different ways in which contemporary artists approach his work in terms of appropriation. Lombardo recreated Goya’s Caprichos by incorporating 21st century American imagery creating a new dialogue. Jake and Dinos Chapman appropriate Goya’s Disasters of War in sculpture, but also purchased physical editions of the prints and drew on them directly.